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How to Change Your NAT Type

Updated Jul 16, 2026

JP Jones

JP Jones is our CTO. He has over 25 years of software engineering and networking experience, and oversees all technical aspects of our VPN testing process. Read full bio

Fact-checked by Simon Migliano

In This Guide

Log into your router’s admin panel and enable UPnP to change your NAT type to Open. If you can’t access your router, connect your device to a Windows 11 hotspot running a VPN to bypass a Strict NAT.

Three doors indicating open, moderate, and strict NAT Types

Having a router with a strict NAT type can ruin online gaming with poor matchmaking, restricted voice chat, and an unstable connection.

Fortunately, you can change your NAT type to a less restrictive setting to allow for a better gameplay experience.

In this guide we explain exactly how to change your NAT type for a variety of devices including PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

Quick Guide: How to Change Your NAT type

Log into your router’s dashboard.
Enable Universal Plug and Play (UPnP).
Restart your router and gaming device.

We also explain UPnP, port forwarding, and how to use a VPN to change your NAT type.

If you can access your router, we recommend enabling UPnP or manually forwarding your ports.

If you can’t access your router, we suggest creating a Windows hotspot with a VPN installed.

How to Change Your NAT Type through Your Router

Follow the instructions in this section if you have access to your router. You’ll need your router’s IP address and login credentials.

A router’s default IP address is often 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. You can typically find it on a sticker on the back of the router, or by running some simple terminal commands.

In Windows, type ipconfig into Command Prompt and look for “Default Gateway”.

On macOS/Linux, run netstat -nr | grep default.

Your router’s login credentials will vary by manufacturer, but routerpasswords.com has a database covering the default for most modern routers.

Method 1: Use UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)

Pros	Cons
Identical configuration for all devices	Potential security risks
Simple and easy setup
Automatic once enabled

Universal Plug and Play is a type of autonomous port forwarding. It’s the easiest way to change your NAT type to Open on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC.

To enable UPnP, follow these steps:

Type your router’s IP address into your web browser and press Enter. If you don’t know it, find it on the back of your router or by running the terminal commands we mentioned earlier.
Fill in your login credentials. Unless you’ve changed these before, your username is typically “admin” and your password is normally the same or left blank. This can vary by manufacturer, so check routerpasswords.com if you have any difficulty.
Once you’ve logged in, find the UPnP settings. Again this varies, but it’s usually found under any variation of “Settings,” “Network Settings,” or “Advanced Settings.”
Enable UPnP. Restart your router and your device to ensure that the change in settings is registered. Your NAT type will no longer be strict.

How Does UPnP Work?

UPnP is a series of protocols that allow devices in the same network to discover and communicate with each other.

When enabled, your games consoles or PC will use UPnP to notify your router to open the required ports on your internet connection and forward them to your device. This allows a connection to be established between a device within your local network and your public-facing internet port.

In gaming terms, enabling UPnP means that the ports assigned to your gaming console or PC will automatically open upon request. This will give you an Open NAT type on Xbox, PS4, PS5, Switch, and PC.

We’ve highlighted UPnP as the first solution you should try as it’s the easiest to set up. It does, however, carry some security risks.

A device carrying malware inside your network could theoretically use UPnP to open a port for further exploitation by a third party. This isn’t common but is worth considering before enabling UPnP on your router.

Method 2: Use Port Forwarding

Pros	Cons
Minimal security risk	Overly-technical setup
Can target specific ports to open instead of the entire network	Configuration varies by manufacturer
Works on all devices

Your router contains ‘ports’ which function as virtual doors to the internet. NAT directs your internet traffic through these ports to its appropriate destination, whether it’s another device or website.

This is an automatic process, but problems can arise when NAT doesn’t open the right port for your connection.

Port forwarding is the process of manually assigning a port to a particular device which creates a direct connection.

This allows you to directly connect your games console to its required gaming network, server, or launcher, thereby changing your NAT type.

It also has the added benefit of improving your in-game latency, making port forwarding an essential feature for PUBG VPNs and gaming VPNs generally.

How to Port Forward Your Xbox or PlayStation

To access your router’s settings, type your router’s IP address into your web browser’s address bar and press Enter. To find your router’s IP address, check the back of your router model.
Find your console’s IP. To do this on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, select Settings > Network > Network settings > Advanced settings > IP address . To do this on PlayStation 4 and 5, navigate to Settings > Network > View Connection Status .
In your router’s settings, navigate to the port forwarding menu (this varies by manufacturer). This can be found under Security > Apps and Gaming > Port range Forwarding for Linksys routers, Advanced > Advanced setup > Port Forwarding for Netgear, and Advanced > Forwarding > Virtual Servers for TP-Link.
The Port Forwarding menu of a Linksys router

Here you’ll be asked to select one of three protocols (UDP, TCP, or both) and to fill in your start and end port number. Each entry will also require your console’s IP address.
Enter the numbers in the tables below. Unless specified otherwise, repeat the same number for both the start and end port. If a port number is separated by a hyphen the first number represents the start port and the second number is the end port.

If it’s supported by your router, we recommend selecting ‘both’ in the protocol section as this reduces the amount of port forwarding inputs you have to make.

If you’re on Xbox, assign these ports:

TCP	UDP	Both (Recommended)
80	88	3074
	500	53
	3544
	4500

If you’re on PlayStation, assign these ports:

TCP	UDP	Both (Recommended)
1935	3074	1935
3478-3480	3478-3479	3074
		3478-3480

After you’ve added the required ports, save your changes and restart your router and console.
You will now have an ‘Open’ NAT type on Xbox and ‘Type 2’ on PlayStation.

How to Port Forward Your Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo support page recommends you manually set your own device IP. You’ll need your network IP address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway for this.
If you’re using a windows device, go to Windows search bar and type cmd. Select Command Prompt, then type in ipconfig/all and press Enter to view the required network information. If you’re using macOS go to System Setting > Network. Select your active connection and then click Details > TCP/IP.
Once you have your network information go back to your Nintendo Switch. Navigate to System Settings > Internet > Internet Settings. Your Switch will now scan for an available network.

Navigate to your Internet Settings

Locate your network, then select Change Settings > IP Address Settings > Manual .
Delete the pre-existing IP address by holding down the B button on your joycon or controller. Replace it with the IP address you found on your Windows or macOS device in Step 2.
The Nintendo support page specifies that you should add 20 to the last number of your IP address. For example an address that reads 192.0.2.1 should be input as 192.0.2.21

IP Address input menu on a Nintendo Switch

Make sure you input your new IP address correctly

Delete your Subnet Mask and Gateway by holding down the B button after selecting them. Input the network information you collected earlier. Unlike the IP address, you don’t need to adjust any of the numbers.
Select Save in the bottom right corner to register your changes.
Log in to your router settings and navigate to the port forwarding tab
Unusually, Nintendo suggests forwarding ports 1 through 65535. We strongly recommend that you don’t do this, as doing so would expose your Switch to the entirety of the internet. Instead, we recommend forwarding ports 45000-65535.
Input 45000 as the start port and 65535 as the end point on the UDP protocol and save your changes.
Restart your router and console to register the changes. Your Switch will now have an Open to Moderate NAT type (ranging from A to C).

How to Port Forward Your PC or Mac

Get your computer’s IP address. If you’re using Windows then type cmd into the Windows search bar and press Enter. Select Command Prompt, then type in ipconfig/all and press Enter to view the device IP.

If you’re using macOS, go to go to System Setting > Network and click on your connection. Then click Details > TCP/IP.
Log in to your router settings page.
Navigate to the port forwarding section.
Unlike on the games consoles, there are no set ports on a PC that work for all games.
Typically, ports will vary depending on the game launcher used and can even differ on a game-by-game basis.
We recommend referring to portforward.com for your PC game’s specific ports.
Each port forwarding rule will also require your PC’s IP address from Step 1.
Input the appropriate ports and save your changes.
Restart your router and PC to register your changes.
You should now have an Open NAT type.

Method 3: Enable IPv6

Pros	Cons
Bypasses NAT completely	Requires an IPv6-enabled router
Minimal security risk	Doesn’t work as well for PS5 and Switch
Most permanent fix

While the previous methods try to open your NAT type, enabling IPv6 removes the NAT process from the equation entirely.

With an IPv6 connection, every device on your network gets its own unique IP address, so there’s nothing for your router to translate. This means the Open/Moderate/Strict labels stop applying.

Microsoft recommends using IPv6 to resolve the NAT issues that are common with IPv4, which makes this the most future-proof fix.

The catch is that IPv6 depends on your ISP and router, which are partly outside your control. So the first step is checking whether you actually have it.

To do so, log into your router’s settings and look at the WAN for an IPv6 address. If there isn’t one, you’ll have to use a different method.

Otherwise, enable IPv6 and restart the router to apply the change.

Keep in mind that PS5 still uses IPv4 for many of its core services and the Nintendo Switch struggles with IPv6 connections.

Why You Shouldn't Use DMZ to Change Your NAT Type

You might see other NAT type troubleshooting guides suggest putting your gaming device into a “DMZ” to get an Open NAT. This is a reckless ‘solution’ which would expose your device to the entire internet.

In the corporate world, a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is a separate, isolated network used by organizations to let customers access a public website without exposing the company’s private servers.

However, WiFi routers handle DMZs differently. When you put a PC or console into a home DMZ, the router simply forwards every single open port to that specific device.

While this will give you an Open NAT, it also leaves your device completely exposed to the internet 24/7. If you do this on a PC, you are leaving the door wide open for malware, ransomware, and botnets.

Moreover, despite the separation from your local network, a device in a DMZ can still communicate with devices in your LAN and therefore infect them.

How to Change your NAT Type without a Router

Create a Hotspot with a VPN Installed

Pros	Cons
Doesn’t require access to your router	Only works for Windows 10/11
Can easily be turned on and off by toggling the VPN	Requires a gaming VPN subscription
Minimal security risk with VPN protection

Windows lets you simulate your own virtual network by creating a hotspot. By installing a VPN, your hotspot becomes its own router, completely bypassing your physical router and its strict NAT type.

Through my own testing, I can confirm a Windows hotspot consistently provides a Moderate NAT type.

I used a mobile hotspot to change my strict NAT type to moderate.

As shown above, we used an Xbox VPN to change our NAT type but this method works with all games consoles.

Creating a hotspot won’t technically change your router’s NAT type, or prevent the network address translation from happening. NAT will still occur on a Windows hotspot, but it will provide a Moderate NAT type by default.

Here’s how to change your NAT type using a VPN hotspot:

Install a gaming VPN onto your Windows PC. Do not connect to a server yet. Based on my latest tests, I recommend ExpressVPN for gaming.
Go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile Hotspot.
Enable it and select to share your internet connection from WiFi.
Back in Network & internet, open Advanced network settings > More network adapter options.
Right-click your VPN adapter and choose Properties.
On the Sharing tab, tick “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection.”
Click on the drop-down menu labeled Home networking connection and pick the hotspot adapter you created earlier.
Open up the VPN app you installed on your Windows computer and select your preferred server location.
Connect your gaming device to the hotspot. You should now see a Moderate NAT type.

Though most VPNs will work with this method, we strongly recommend choosing a VPN that minimizes lag and has servers in multiple global locations.

The best gaming VPNs offer fast international speeds, low latency, and excellent customer service. Their extensive server networks let you access nearby VPN servers regardless of where you’re located.

What Is a NAT Type?

Network Address Translation (NAT) is a process that takes the private IP address of devices on a local network and translates them into a single, public IP address for a wider network — usually the internet.

Your NAT Type is an indicator of your local network’s accessibility. NAT Types come in three categories: Open, Moderate, and Strict.

These three categories are dictated by your router’s NAT firewall, and interpreted by the manufacturer of the gaming console or PC you’re playing on. For example, an Open NAT type on Xbox could be a Moderate one on PlayStation.

Here’s a table explaining the differences between each NAT Type:

NAT Type	Definition
Open	No restrictions whatsoever. This normally means you’re connected directly to the internet without a router or that you have opened the necessary ports on your router.
Moderate	Your device is behind a router. There’s sufficient ports open for a connection to be established.
Strict	Your device is behind a router. The router can’t or won’t forward incoming requests to your games console or PC.

Every device on a network is assigned an IP (Internet Protocol) address as a means of identification and communication with other devices.

At the conception of the internet the IPv4 was developed on a 32-bit code which limits the amount of available IPs to around 4 billion.

Network Address Translation (NAT) was implemented to conserve the remaining unregistered IPs.

If your VPN uses outdated protocols incompatible with NAT, your router may block the connection. If this happens, you’ll need to set up a VPN passthrough to forward the VPN traffic through your router.

NAT Type Compatibility

Your NAT Type determines the level of communication and connectivity you’re allowed while gaming online.

If your NAT Type is Open you are able to play and communicate with anyone online. If your NAT Type is Moderate you can only connect to Open and Moderate players. If you have a Strict NAT Type you can only talk and play with Open Type gamers.

A strict NAT type severely limits your online gaming experience.

The difference in compatibility of NAT types is outlined in the table below:

Matchmaking will take longer with a Strict NAT Type as you won’t be permitted to host matches and you can only join a game hosted by an Open NAT type user. Furthermore, you will be blocked from matchmaking on games that use a peer-to-peer system to connect players.

Open NAT Types also present their own problems. By having your console connected directly to the internet you run the risk of malware entering your local network. The NAT firewall functions as your first line of defense by denying incoming information requests from potentially malicious sources.

By ‘opening’ your NAT, you lose this protection. That said, these types of attacks are rare, especially on consoles.

FAQs

How to Check Your NAT Type?

This will vary depending on the manufacturer of your gaming console. On PC, the NAT Type changes on a game-by-game basis.

On Xbox, navigate to Profile & System > Settings > General > Network Settings and look under the Current Network Status heading.
On PlayStation, go to Settings > Network > View Connection Status and look at the bottom of the page.
On Nintendo Switch, select System Settings > Internet > Test Connection .

What Is NAT Type 2?

NAT Type 2 is Sony’s classification for Moderate NAT Types on the PlayStation 4 and 5.

This is the most common NAT Type on PlayStation as Sony only assigns an Open NAT Type if your console is directly connected to the internet.

This is not recommended as it would leave your PlayStation vulnerable to malware attacks and hacking attempts.

What Does NAT Type Failed Mean?

“NAT Type failed” is Sony’s default message for any networking error on the PlayStation. Typically, this means that your router was unable to perform NAT on your PlayStation’s outgoing connection.

To fix the “NAT Type failed” error message you can manually set up your PlayStation’s connection to the internet.

To do this, get your PS5 IP address by navigating to Settings > Network > View Connection Status.

Then obtain your network’s IP address, default gateway, subnet mask, and DNS Server. This can be found by searching cmd in a Windows device and selecting command prompt. Then type in ipconfig/all to view the necessary network information.

If you prefer macOS go to System Settings > Network. Select your active connection and click Details. Locate TCP/IP to see the required information.

On your PS5, select Settings > Network > Set Up Internet Connection and choose Custom. Input all the information you collected in the previous steps.

You’ll now be assigned a NAT Type.

What Does 'Teredo Is Unable to Qualify' Mean?

This protocol is used to enable matchmaking on select Xbox exclusive games. If your PC can’t locate a Teredo IP address you will be told that “Teredo is Unable to Qualify” and your console will function as if it has a Strict NAT Type.

Microsoft’s NAT Type error message

To fix the Teredo error message, try reconfiguring the IP Helper Service on a Windows device.

To do this, type Services in the Windows search bar and navigate to Start-up Type > IP Helper > Start-up Type. Then enable Automatic.

Alternatively, update your router to the latest firmware to ensure that it’s not blocking IPv6 connections.